N.L. teachers sign new collective agreement that includes raises and $2K bonuses

Teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador will be getting annual two per cent wage increases for the next four years, as well as a one-time bonus of $2,000, in a new collective agreement with the provincial government.

Details of the agreement were released Friday morning, as the Education Department and teachers' union announced they'd finalized the deal, which was reached in November.

The deal covers 6,500 teachers across the province.

"I am pleased that this new agreement has been signed, and I thank both negotiating teams for their work," said Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell in a press release.

Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association president Trent Langdon says he's happy to have a deal in place but there are areas where work remains to be done. (Heather Gillis/CBC)

The deal comes with "earned and deserved improvements," according to Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association president Trent Langdon. However, he said there remains room for improvement on some issues affecting schools around the province.

"We must not lose sight of the need for proper resourcing in our schools to support student needs," he said in a statement Friday morning.

"This is essential to keeping the excellent professional workforce we have in our schools and attracting new teachers to the profession. Working conditions for teachers are the learning conditions for students, and the association will continue to advocate for investments that promote recruitment and retention of qualified teachers, reduce class size, and support the student needs that come with complex class compositions."

The new collective agreement comes with a long list of other initiatives, including improved benefits for teachers working in isolated schools, including all schools in Labrador.

Other items include:

• Improved recruitment process prior to the start of the school year.

• Funding for a new employee assistance program co-ordinator.

• Easier access to sick leave for substitute teachers.

• An additional day to prepare report cards.

• An agreement to review the responsive teaching and learning model.

• Modernization of definitions of harassment and discrimination.

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